Nerd News

Whoa, how time flies. It's Mother's Day again and next week also marks my one year anniversary blogging! I know that it's the recession and all and I'm thinking about going cheap on my mom and not buy her any gifts and just greet her on Mother's day but then I feel like I tool not giving her anything even though she's on the other side of the country so I'll probably call up some flower delivery company and send her some of her favorite flowers.

Thinking about my mom reminds me of our last family vacation which we did recently. It's been a while since we all get to spend some time together. We're not the kind of family that talks a lot and I remember during my childhood that there's really no bonding moments like how was school, etc. So being grown up and talking with my mom as an adult kinda feels weird but nice. I get to scold her if she's being mean to my dad which I'm not allowed to do as a kid since respect for the elders is something big in our family.

Anyways, yeah, I'll probably send her flowers since sending her an e-greeting through email won't do considering that she doesn't know how to open her email account.

There has been a growing number of reports about increased online threats in the form of viruses, malware, and spyware. My niece currently has an aging desktop PC that runs on Windows ME without any anti-virus protection. Although we can always upgrade the software, I'm afraid the computer specs can't handle Windows XP or Vista. Anyways, I've been in the market for current antivirus that are still compatible with Windows ME and thankfully, I've come upon the K7 Antivirus from the posts over at NMCNNIC.

K7 is only $26.95 and I think it would be better than downloading a free antivirus software. Will probably try that out in a couple of days. Will let you know how it goes.

Now here's an anti-aging cream that should be on top of Wrinkle Cream Reviews websites all over the Internet since its effectiveness seems to be backed by clinical trials.

Dermatologists from the University of Manchester have conducted a clinical trial on the product No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum on some 60 volunteers with signs of sun-damaged skin.

The clinical trials found that 70% of those using the anti-aging beauty cream has fewer wrinkles after 12 months of daily use versus those volunteers who only uses placebo. This study is published online in the British Journal of Dermatology Today.

Although this clinical trial is funded by the makers of No7 product range--Boots, it was carried out using standard scientific protocols. Prescription retinoids have already been proven to have reparative effects on aged skin but there has been no scientific study yet that proves that any of the cosmetic anti-aging products sold over the counter can product similar effects.

One of the dermatologists who conducted the study says that it is rare for over-the-counter anti-aging products to have such benefits and hopefully, their study could pave the way for larger studies with more statistical power.

At last I think I may have found a solution to my problem. I've been trying for some time now to find a solution to flash my sister's old Blackberry 8830 from Verizon to Cricket Service. I've even tried Yahoo Answers but my question hasn't been answered. Thankfully, Cell Phone Reviews has posted a topic about flashing mobile phones to Cricket which leads to a forum that has all the information regarding flashing different handsets.

There's a dedicated tutorial for flashing the Blackberry 8830 which I will peruse shortly and then I'll try Googling for the files needed to flash the phone. Hopefully, I can summon the guts to do this. I'm not really a technical person but what have I got to lose anyway? I basically have a useless Blackberry 8830 since I am no longer using Verizon's service.

In spite of the recession, the watch company Nautica, has introduced a fresh timepiece that is inspired by ocean life: The NCS 46. The NCS46 is available in leather straps or stainless steel bracelets and has a Japanese chronograph movement, 46mm solid stainless steel case, luminous hands, classic signature pushers, and is water resistant up to 100M.

I must admit, I like the simplicity of Nautica watches more than the gaudiness of Bulova watches. Though Bulova watches are indeed fashionable and are an eye turner, in these times of crisis, I think they're just too much to spend your hard earned money on.

If you have set up adsense you might say that the Internet is affected by Recession considering that your PPC rate from Adsense has gone down but come on, will your only basis be the Internet giant, Google?

Like many industries, there's no doubt that the Internet is affected by the recession but I think it took a slightly less beating than other industries. Consider that search engine optimisation companies have been popping up everywhere on the Internet. You may say that there are already too many SEO companies but with the hundreds of websites being set up everyday, it may not be so saturated after all.

Besides, I think that websites would continue to pop up even during the height of the recession. More and more businesses would rather try their hands expanding on the Internet than making another brick and mortar store in another location. With the Internet, they have the whole world as their potential customers. And with new websites, website design artists will continue to have jobs. In fact, I think any job related to the Internet will take a slightly less beating compared with other jobs.

So is the Internet affected by the Recession? Yes, but only slightly.

Been reading some business news lately and it looks like we have three new CEOs from different companies for April alone. First in the investment sector, the BMB Investment Bank has appointed Akbar Ali Habib as the bank's new CEO last April 6th and then the software company PayGlobal appointed Hugh Martin as their new Chief Executive Officer just last week, April 13th.

As for the other sectors, the BlackHawk! Products group, maker of Blackhawk Holster, tactical gear, military armor, apparel, etc, has announced that it promoted Lt. Col. Tom O' Sullivan, a retired US army, as their new director of International Business effective April 2nd.

Hmm, I don't know whether the astronauts on the Atlantis should feel relieved about this piece of news. On one hand, they have a backup ship in case anything goes wrong, on the other hand, having a backup ship is like willing something to go wrong.

The space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to take off on May 12th to refurbish the Hubble Telescope. Nasa just wants to have a rescue team ready in case of emergency since the Atlantis crew won't be able to seek refuge in the International Space Station.

The final servicing call to the Hubble was canceled after the 2003 Columbia disaster wherein a the shuttle disintegrated due to launch debris.

Via: Yahoo News

Ford is really famous for its trucks. The Ford Ranger has been given some awards by some smaller pickup enthusiasts though the Ford F150 still remains as Ford's best selling truck. So, why is Ford still famous for trucks? Well, Ford has been building trucks since 1908 and their trucks have been known to be reliable and durable.

Anyways, if Volvo is famous for their sedans, then Ford is famous for their large trucks and pickups. In fact, though Ford is a US car maker, in Europe, another large automobile of Ford is famous: The Ford Transit. The Ford Transit is Ford's range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks in Europe. The Ford Transit is so famous that “transit” has been used as a common name to any light commercial van about the size of the Transit.

Well, it looks like Ford is trying to make a name for itself again by building a new range of Ford Vans, mainly one that runs on electricity. Designed to meet the needs of the Ford Transit users who are looking to save on fuel, the Ford Transit Connect isn't just a concept car, the Ford Transit Connect is a production model which is ready to arrive in North America as early as next year.

Well, at least Ford is putting to good use the bail-out money that the government is lending them. Hopefully, we will see the Ford Transit Connect next year, ready to make light deliveries.

When one talks about the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, traditional views amongst the scientists is that this period was sudden, violent and culturally disruptive. This period of cultural decline or social collapse is commonly termed as the Dark Age.

However recent discoveries, including one by the University of Toronto of a temple in Turkey built around the time of King Solomon, have revealed that some dynasties may have survived during the collapse of the powers that ruled the Bronze Age.

The ongoing excavations somewhat paints the picture that Tayinat was the capital of a powerful kingdom during the Dark Ages. More information about the excavation here.

It's spring time! Now I know I've been late but I've never noticed that it's spring until animals start coming into our gardens. Okay, a few squirrels I can tolerate and maybe a gopher but when I start seeing some deers in our garden, I was like, WTF?!! Hey, this is no Walt Disney castle, you know.

I mean, it's not like I dislike deers or anything but I've recently read an article which says that grazing animals actually spreads plant disease. Now that article I've read seems very conflicting with other studies I've read which says that these type of animals actually help to contain or reduce disease.

However, it's not just plant diseases that I'm worried about, it's Lyme disease! Now while I could ordinarly get some deer repellants from the local store, I really don't know what kind of effect that would have on the wildlife. I mean, I don't want to kill them or anything, I just want them away. Anyways, for those wildlife and environmentally conscious individuals who has teh same problem as I do, Havahart.com specializes in repellants and traps that are not harmful to pets and wildlife.

Researchers at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany has recently found that immature sheep fetuses can enter a dreaming sleep like state even before any rapid eye movements are seen.

Rapid Eye Movements (REM) is usually first seen during the seventh month of a fetus' development. Measuring brain activity in premature babies is difficult so Scientists do not know if sleep cycles simply appear one day or if they develop slowly.

The research team studeid a sheep's fetus, an animal with similar fetus size and weight to human fetus as well as similar brain development. With the use of advanced mathematical techniques for detecting patterns, the research team discovered cycles of immature brain activity. While the researchers still do not know that the fetus experiences during these cycles, Scientists were able to conclude that sleep does suddenly evolve from a resting brain but is an active and regulated process.

More on the study here

I've recently come upon a press release which talks about how one can generate passive income by just reselling web hosting space and starting their own web hosting company. Now there's little that I know of web hosting but from the bits and pieces that I've gleaned from the Internet, basically, you buy a web host package from a major company, say, you buy $25 for unlimited space and bandwidth, now you start your own web hosting company and then resell that space for say, $5 for a 3GB space and bandwidth.

It sounds simple really, and major webhosting companies like the ones on Web HostingChoice's list of top 10 web hosts offer reseller packages but if you're the type who has a conscience, this may be the source of your headaches specially when the customers you've sold a webhost package to starts asking about technical stuff.

If you know a bit about web hosting and you have experience as a webmaster, then reselling web hosts may be a good source of passive income. Otherwise, it's better to stick to something that you have a bit of knowledge of.

Here's a major Science discovery, according to Yahoo News, around 2,000 Orangutans were discovered in a remote region in Indonesia.

This discovery gives a much needed boost to the critical numbers of great apes which is near extinction. There's only an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans left in the wild with some populations scattered, making them vulnerable to extinction. Some of the species found in the eastern island were that of the rare black Borneon orangutan.

The conservationists say that the next step would be to immediately protect the area since at the current rate of habitat destruction, the orangutans could be extinct within the next two decades.

Good news for winemakers, Researchers at the university of Florida has recently introduced "Delicious", a muscadine grape culvitar. The fruit is initially being released as a fresh fruit consumption but they can also have the potential to be made into wines so expect to have inexpensive wines made from Delicious berries soon.

The fruit originated from a cross between AA10-40 and CD8-81. The original Delicious seedling was planted in 1993. The Delicious culls its name from comments of vineyard visitors who sampled the fruit. The fruit produces high yields, diseases resistant and also ripens early. Aside from its exceptional taste and texture, the edible skin makes the fruit well-suited for fresh fruit consumption as well as wine production.

The Delicious black berries are oval shaped and reddish but turns dark purple or black when ripe. The fruit ripens variably but usually occurs in early August in Florida.

The researcher's preliminary trials say that the flavor of the wine made from Delicious equals that of "Carlos", according to a panel of 30 winemakers. The wine produced from Delicious berries is medium to light red.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/asfh-ng032009.php

Researchers at the University of Melbourne and Princeton recently said that the difference in the reflection of light from the Earth's land and oceans can be seen on the dark side of the moon. This phenomenon is called earthsine.

The researchers further stated that the brightness of earthsine varies as the planet rotates so there's a difference between reflections from ocean compared to reflections from land.

The researchers hope that astronomers will be able to find planets like Earth using earthsine so that they can interpret the physical make up of new planets.

You can read more of the research here

Okay, though I love Science and all the breakthroughs that come with it, I really hate being asked about questions that are related to the medical field. A friend of mine recently got pregnant and she's been asking me all sort of pregnancy related stuff such as what to eat, can she exercise, how long will her morning sickness last, etc. Hey, do I look like a doctor?! I'll admit, I'm a geek who loves Science news and business but that's it.

Anyways, though I'm not a doctor or a specialist, I pointed her to the right direction: Google. And thanks to Google, she found healthguru.com with a dedicated subdomain for pregnancy related questions. Now my friend doesn't have to Google every little question she has about pregnancy nor does she have to buy any baby book recommended by Dr. Phil or Ophrah. All she had to to do is read up on the pregnancy related articles on Healthguru and all her questions would be answered.

If she can't find the stuff she's looking for, she can always use Google. Anyways, HealthGuru.com is a good resource for everything related to health. Anyways, since I'm a news fanatic, I like browsing Health Guru's news archives.